A ranking of African nations with the most limited naval capabilities at the close of 2025 shows vulnerabilities in maritime security for coastal states, where small fleets of fewer than two dozen vessels leave economies exposed to piracy and trade disruptions, according to a defense analysis.
The assessment by Global Firepower evaluates conventional naval strength, excluding landlocked countries, and highlights how inadequate fleets can jeopardize protection of exclusive economic zones and offshore resources vital to many African economies.
Benin ranks as having the weakest fleet with only two assets, followed by Ivory Coast with three, Gabon and Libya each with five, and Sudan, Mauritania, and Madagascar tied at six vessels apiece.
Somalia fields 10 ships, Tanzania 12, and Eritrea concludes the list with 23, though analysts note these numbers often comprise patrol craft rather than advanced warships, limiting effectiveness against modern threats.
The report emphasizes that weak naval presence, particularly in piracy-prone areas like the Gulf of Guinea, enables “criminal networks to thrive, raising insurance costs and inhibiting marine trade.”
It warns that for nations depending on sea routes for over 90 percent of trade, such shortcomings lead to “shipping costs rise, port calls decrease, and trade competitiveness declines,” exacerbating revenue losses in export-reliant sectors.
10 African countries with the weakest naval fleet at the end of 2025
In the 2025 naval strength rankings, Algeria topped the continent with 213 vessels, followed by Egypt’s 140 and Nigeria’s 133, underscoring an emerging shift in African maritime power projection, according to the data.
Egypt’s navy benefits from its position guarding the Mediterranean and Red Sea corridors, playing a key role in safeguarding the Suez Canal — one of the world’s busiest trade routes — and contributing to regional peacekeeping operations. With eight submarines and a mix of patrol and combat ships, Cairo’s force is widely regarded as Africa’s most advanced.
